The Templar
by Dannaron
Summary: During the battle on Tarsonis, a Protoss High Templar is captured by the Terrans for interrogation and eventual dissection... Short Oneshot


**The Templar**

"Subject is conscious."

A cold metal table. Thick metal bands over his wrists, ankles and midsection preventing his movement. A small room with thick walls and a single, bright light that shone straight into his face. A drip was attached to his arm and his head was full of angry buzzing. Everything seemed sepia-toned and indistinct: he could make out figures but not sense their presence. They were decked from head to foot in some sort of armour. One of them lifted a device to its mouth and spoke.

"Subject 23, tenth interview. Subject identifies itself as Cassius of the Templar."

Cassius blinked slowly. Memories were very slow in returning: he'd been drugged. But gradually recollections came back to him of being on a Terran world, in a battle against the infestation that had taken root there as well as the Terrans themselves who attacked his party for reasons he did not understand. There was a gap in his memory after that, but he could remember the many 'interviews' well. The humans would ask him needling, insistent questions, at first about his physiology and culture. As time went on however they began to grow more and more irritated with his intractability and began to focus upon the placement, organisation and intentions of the protoss on Tarsonis. He had spoken a few times, but never directly answered any of their questions, and in return they had attempted to torture him to reveal the information. But Cassius had been trained for almost a century to resist such techniques: they would not drag anything from him.

Patience.

"Ease bonds to level seven to allow for communication with subject."  
"Bonds released."

The buzzing died down a little and Cassius felt like a blindfold had been removed. He could sense two questioners standing before him (the one who had spoken already was male, the other female), an armed warrior in the room beyond, and two other observers past the durable window at the other end of the room. Cassius offered a silent prayer to the gods for fortune. This was going to be hit or miss…

The female's name was Rachel. Cassius had seen it in her head but had not revealed his knowledge: it was crucial that the humans thought him entirely impotent and in their control. "Alright, I'm going to cut the crap. The Major is offerin' you one last chance to talk and tell us what you know about what you folk are doing in this sector. You either talk now, or we just figure out everything we want to know about you from your body."

Cassius looked up at her from the table: his red eyes fixed on hers. If he were standing up he'd be almost twice her height. His face was carefully blank, but with the lack of any facial features other than eyes there was little emotion that the humans could read anyway. He spoke, and his voice entered straight into the minds of all those present without the inconvenience of passing their ears; "You are going to use your crude knives upon me whatever I say or do, so there is no incentive for me to talk. I am Templar. I shall never betray my brethren."

Patience.

Rachel sighed. "You know, I kinda figured you'd say that." She motioned with her hand, and Cassius' scream filled every head nearby. For a moment the world was nothing but white. But he could endure. The simple electrical shock was an imprecise and primitive means of causing pain: clearly this system focussed more on clamping his powers than it did on causing him harm. Truth be told he was impressed with how powerful their technology was at clamping his mind; clearly they had experience in building such mechanisms. But they had no idea what he was capable of. And even through the bright mists of agony, Cassius could feel something out there that they couldn't. Their torture gave voice to his scream: he didn't even have to try to call his brethren here. They were already on their way. All he needed was to get out of this immediate situation, and he was prepared for that.

Cassius blinked as he realised the world was in focus again. The male human who was in the room with him, David, was shouting at Rachel who looked mostly just amused by the outburst. David had been fascinated with Cassius from the moment he had arrived, and uneasy with the others' attempts to repeatedly drag military information out of him. David wanted to know about the culture and customs of the protoss, he had grand ideals of an alliance against the zerg. He was insane. But it served Cassius well to have a sympathiser who disliked the other humans there: it gave him a distraction.

Closing his eyes, Cassius sought to confirm that what he felt while being tortured was indeed there. And it was: his cries had not gone unheard. No more need for patience. So long as he did this quickly. Cassius calmed himself, closed his eyes and withdrew into his own mind. It was full of buzzing: he had to commend the terrans on this, if the machine was running at its full power he would be totally blind and helpless. But they were not aware of what a High Templar really was. They lessened its affect to allow him communication, and that would be enough for him.

The ringing sound from his most recent shock dying down, Cassius could hear the humans jabbering: they had realised what he was trying to do, they were going to prevent him. It would be a near thing. He had to focus what little power he had available. He needed just a little more time…

Cassius looked for something to sabotage, found a wire connected the table, and focussed on it. At first it wavered, and then, just as he felt his senses drown once more under the static it was yanked out of the wall. The machine just stopped, and the buzzing died. The two humans in the room just stared dumbly. Cassius took the briefest of moments to savour his freedom as his mind immediately spread out before him, and then the table he was on snapped at its base and levitated, bearing him into the air.

As if a spell had been broken, the two humans rushed for the door. "Get in here! Shoot him! Kill him quick!" They screamed, and the soldier from outside rushed in and raised his gun. Cassius looked straight at the human and sent a small ripple directly into the space where his brain was. The human rocked where he stood and then fell over, blood draining out his ears. Rachel screamed and rushed outside but her legs were caught from under her and she was slammed into a wall. Cassius raised a hand. "You thought you could imprison me. You thought you could force me to betray my comrades. You thought me weak. But I have lived for five of your lifetimes. Your tortures cannot harm me; your minds do not understand my strength. But you will learn."

Cassius' bonds snapped and he came free from the table: one hand pointed towards Rachel, keeping her pinned to the wall, and the other one raised and in the general direction of David and the other two observers who were desperately trying to scramble away. Cassius closed his eyes and grunted. Rachel watched as the space around the fleeing people warped and cracked and they all rose slowly into the air, screaming. Something in Rachel switched off and she just stared as blood vessels burst and bones bent ways that they weren't supposed to. Within only a few seconds it was over.

Rachel suddenly felt the force holding her in place vanish and she dropped to the cold metal floor. She rolled over, threw up and then stopped moving. Cassius looked at her briefly, then turned away and floated out of the room.

The whole facility suddenly lurched and an echoing rumble like thunder passed through the place. Sirens began to blare from all directions. The lights flickered and went out. The Templars were here. When Rachel woke up once more and rejoined her fellow Terrans, perhaps they would learn never to toy with a protoss warrior again.


End file.
